Where the rubber meets the road: Sight-impaired artist makes NASCAR tires his canvas
Where the rubber meets the road: Sight-impaired artist makes NASCAR tires his canvas Published 12:00 am Saturday, May 10, 2025 1 of 3 Jim Tonseth demonsttrats how he uses the spatula, once he has dipped it in the paint, to drtizzle it over the tire, which is placed on the Lazy Susan. — Karen Kistler […]
Where the rubber meets the road: Sight-impaired artist makes NASCAR tires his canvas
Published 12:00 am Saturday, May 10, 2025
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Jim Tonseth demonsttrats how he uses the spatula, once he has dipped it in the paint, to drtizzle it over the tire, which is placed on the Lazy Susan. — Karen Kistler
Jim Tonseth shows several types of his artwork, on tread, at left and a NASCAR tire sidewall. — Karen Kistler
Jim Tonseth shows the original tire to the finished painted piece of artwork. — Karen Kistler
Karen Kistler
karen.kistler@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — Driving for a career delivering horse trailers was a blast for Jim Tonseth of Salisbury. It was something he loved doing, but on Jan. 1, 2020, that all changed. His career path took a different turn — into the world of art.
It was the day before on Dec. 31 that he returned home from Missouri after dropping off a trailer. He and wife Phyllis had gone to sleep early, and Jim woke up the next day, completely blind, with just a huge white cloud in front of his face.
“I could see absolutely nothing, which is terrifying,” he said.
Tests followed with the diagnosis of mild sleep apnea which had damaged the optic nerve, which had been starved of oxygen, he said. He was told he might get his sight back in six to eight months but that was not a guarantee.
Wanting a second opinion, they went to Duke University where, following hours of testing and an MRI ruling out a tumor or other causes, the answer was the same — mild sleep apnea.
This, said Tonseth, was happening when COVID was going on, “so getting a sleep study to get a CPAP machine was next to impossible.”
It was scheduled, postponed and rescheduled. When it finally happened, it revealed he had mild sleep apnea, and the same process for the sleep lab.
However, he now has the machine and while he said it was a challenge in the beginning, he is used to it and “now it’s no big deal at all.” The result has definitely been, as he said, “life changing.”
Before that day in January 2020, Tonseth had intended on cutting down on the amount of driving he did, which was about 4,000 miles a week.
That all ended and he said it took him about three and a half to four years to get his head straight as he went from completely sighted to completely blind, plus he has to rely on somebody else all the time.
When he drove for a living, he was also involved in another business — We Recycle Tires, which made things out of old NASCAR racing tires. It made about 80 different items, Tonseth said, with one of the major being rubber fencing for horses. Other items included silage cover weights for dairy farmers, mouse pads, Christmas ornaments and keychains.
“Literally anything you can think of to reuse the material rather than throw it away,” he said.
Things changed in 2008 when the economy crashed, he said, and sales went way down.
He noted that his best friend and partner is handling their concession business in Florida. For Tonseth, since losing his sight, things are more difficult and he is doing other things with the material.
And one of those things is using the sidewalls as a painting canvas.
Having gotten back about 95 percent of his sight, Tonseth can see things that are large and high contrast, but what is right before him is just a blur.
“If it’s small stuff, that doesn’t work, it’s just a blur,” he said.
He has some custom-built glasses similar to a telescope, thinking he might be able to use these to drive again, he said.
Using them, he said he could “see 500 yards down the road clear but when you’re looking through a telescope, it’s that small” and that he “could change the focal point but it’s very small. There’s no peripheral stuff.”
So not wanting to endanger himself and others, he decided to forfeit his license. He came to the decision to start what was originally planned for 2020 and that was to use his creative talents, something he has been gifted with all his life, and “merged my tire stuff with painting.”
The process begins with a whole tire, and the sidewalls are cut out “because of the space it takes up,” he said.
These tires are old NASCAR racing tires, he explained as he held one before it was painted. It showed the markings on it, revealing that it was a right rear tire from a race in Atlanta, and it was a qualifying set, he said.
He has been collecting tires for many years, and has quite the collection to use for his artwork.
“I have a huge warehouse with about 20,000 tires right now, down from 70,000,” he said. ”Over 30 years, you collect a lot and sell a lot.”
Once the tire is cut, he cleans it with chemicals to get rid of the oil or any other debris it might have picked up on the track.
Then, a base coat of paint is applied to the tire, one that he said “will adhere to it because rubber doesn’t take paint very well unless you condition it, put stuff on it to make that happen. We have a special paint that we use and paint the whole thing.”
A classically trained artist, having received his degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, Tonseth knew what to do. The problem is, he said, “all that training, I can’t use it because I can’t see.” He was inspired by the artist Jackson Pollock and his style, which is called “action painting, which is basically throwing or splashing paint onto canvases,” something he became famous for.
He also noted that he is basically using enamel paint, “primarily because that was what Pollock used.”
And while Pollock’s paint was oil based, Tonseth is using water based, because it’s easier for him.
“It’s a whole lot easier for someone who is blind to work with it because it’s easier to wash off,” he said.
As for Tonseth, he said he is inspired by what Pollock did because “I can actually see it, a lot of it. I can’t see a bunch, but a lot of it I can see because there’s high contrast.”
The actual painting process is done on a lazy Susan platform he made to place the tire or a canvas on and he turns it. He uses a small spatula, which he dips into the paint and drizzles it over the tire as it turns.
He said, “I want the major portion to flow. I don’t want it to be really heavy or thick and then I will drizzle and try to watch what I’m doing. The initial colors are easy to see because there’s high contrast because this is painted white and with white and any color I can see that.”
He also uses silicone spoons for bigger canvases and has all sorts of different items.
For one piece, he told how he did one part with a brush and other parts were done with a spatula. Dots on the top layer were made by him putting his hands in the paint, and making sure it was streaming off but “literally dribbling over the top. That’s why there’s actually no pattern to that and there’s no consistency,” he said, adding that he loves this particular style of painting.
As for how he knows the painting is complete and it’s how he wants it to look, he said, “a lot of it is actually just divine guidance really because I can’t see a lot of what I’m doing.” So he just waits for that guidance as he is drizzling the paint.
“And basically, it’s going to sound weird,” he said, but “I listen to the sound of the paint and it’s telling me when there’s enough. It sounds really, really weird, probably is to most normal people, but when you lose one sense the other ones get kind of accentuated. They don’t take over,” but he said he concentrates more.
Prior to his going blind, Tonseth said he had bought many supplies such as canvases, paint and alcohol ink which he intended to use. His plan, he said, “got kind of wiped out and what I’ve since done after going through the depression that goes with losing your sight, I’ve finally gotten back to doing something.”
When he paints, Tonseth said that is doing a process of putting layers on the tire or canvas and letting it dry. “I do not want the paint to actually mix together for what I’ve been doing so far.”
When wet paint is on top of another layer that is wet, he said you can have a chemical reaction, something he tries to avoid happening.
As for how long it takes to complete a piece, he said it depends on the layers and the time it takes to dry. He typically lets it dry four hours between layers.
For example, he said a piece that has 12-15 layers may take over a week.
And then once the piece is dry, he lets it dry for another 24 hours before putting two coats of varnish on it.
“The varnish actually brings out the pigments in the colors a whole lot brighter as well as protects the surface from damage,” said Tonseth. “Once the varnish is on there, the surface is a whole lot tougher.”
He has plans for additional paintings, he said, “where I’m basically setting up parameters for stuff to happen with machines like a giant pendulum machine as well as a giant spin machine and then combining both of those to do incredibly unique canvases of painting. I’m not really painting it, I’m pretty much setting up what can occur and then letting nature take its course.”
He has the materials to build these machines and is in the process of building this equipment.
“The problem is, I need eyes to do it,” he said. He’s had some help, but would like to get someone who has basic mechanical skills who can help and hopes to work on these machines this summer.
When asked what he wants people to learn from seeing his work, he said, first, you can paint on anything, noting the tires and he also uses the tread to paint on. He has also painted on frisbees and record albums.
Secondly, he said, “anybody I believe can do this.”
Tonseth has done several shows and anticipates one later in the fall with Carolina Artists and plans to have several pieces of his rubber artwork and the remainder would be new items.
In addition to his painting, he said he also “stays very active watching art-related YouTube videos of other folks and what they are doing, getting inspired by some of them.”
As Kyle Larson aims for ‘the Double,’ other IndyCar and NASCAR drivers ponder motorsports marathon – WGAU
INDIANAPOLIS — (AP) — NASCAR star Kyle Larson will be taking another shot at “the Double,” one of the most grueling feats in all of motorsports, when he tries to complete every lap of the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday. Tony Stewart is the only driver to have successfully pulled it off, […]
INDIANAPOLIS — (AP) — NASCAR star Kyle Larson will be taking another shot at “the Double,” one of the most grueling feats in all of motorsports, when he tries to complete every lap of the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday.
Tony Stewart is the only driver to have successfully pulled it off, and that was nearly 25 years ago.
But while attempts have been scarce since John Andretti first tried it in 1994, that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of ambitious drivers interested. Defending Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden, Team Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin and reigning IndyCar series champion Alex Palou all expressed some desire to give it a go this week.
“Gosh, we could have a huge laundry list of people that should do it,” said Newgarden, who is aiming for an unprecedented third straight Indy 500 win. “You could ask the majority of the field (and they) would want to do the double. It’s so much fun.”
Yet it’s also a massive undertaking, which is why Stewart still stands alone, and not just on the driver who has to complete 1,100 miles around Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway — tracks some 550 miles apart. It also takes some serious financial support, the backing of teams in both IndyCar and NASCAR, tremendous logistical help, and plenty of luck that the weather cooperates, cars hold up mechanically and the driver is able to avoid any wrecks.
Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, whose brother Kurt completed the Indy 500 in 2014 but failed to finish the Coca-Cola 600, is among those who have tried to put together a deal to attempt “the Double” but haven’t quite pulled it off.
“It’s just very difficult to get that lined up,” Newgarden said. “Doing what Kyle (Larson) is doing right now, it’s harder than it looks. What I mean by that is just putting the program together. You would have a lot of people doing it if it was simple, I can promise you that. I think Kyle Busch has spoken publicly about trying to get something off the ground. That’s Kyle Busch. It should seem like it’s pretty likely for him to put a program together. It was quite difficult.”
So who else could be in line to try?
Ryan Blaney has contemplated it, and he presumably would have plenty of synergistic support given that Team Penske has established NASCAR and IndyCar programs. But it would take the convincing of team owner Roger Penske, who also owns the IndyCar Series, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500 — a race he has won a record 20 times.
“I would love to see Blaney do it at some point,” Newgarden said.
Six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon, who drives for Chip Ganassi Racing, was close to a deal years ago when that team still had a NASCAR program. Dixon pointed out that there are also conflicts of interest to overcome, such as when an IndyCar driver whose team is powered by Honda has the chance to drive a Cup Series car that might have a Chevrolet engine.
“It’s not an easy thing to do,” Dixon said. “Really admire the people that do it.”
Dixon paused, before telling Palou sitting next to him: “Alex, you should do it.”
“I would love to do it,” he replied. “I would do it.”
McLaughlin, another Team Penske driver with extensive stock car experience, was asked about trying to tackle both Memorial Day weekend races. Before jumping to IndyCar, McLaughlin was one of the most dominant drivers in the history of the Supercar Series in Australia and New Zealand, winning 56 races and three series championships.
Those races take place on road courses, though, and the Coca-Cola 600 is on the Charlotte oval. So, McLaughlin said, all those years of stock car experience Down Under might not translate so easily to a Cup Series car.
“The only reason you’d think that is is if it was road course-to-road course,” he said. “But I think the oval is a completely different kettle of fish. If I was to do ‘the Double,’ I would like to do an (oval) race before Charlotte.”
Larson’s attempt is once again a joint effort of Hendrick Motorsports on the NASCAR side and Arrow McLaren on the IndyCar side.
He had high hopes of completing all 1,100 miles last year, but rain wreaked havoc with his schedule. Larson managed to finish the rain-delayed Indy 500, then do the entire helicopter-plane-helicopter trip to Charlotte, only to be greeted there by more rain upon his arrival. It ultimately washed out the rest of the NASCAR race before he ever got a chance to turn a lap.
The forecast for Sunday? A bit chilly but most likely dry.
“I feel like the Hendrick aviation side does a really good job with logistics and working with motorsports to make sure all the timing’s right on everything and everything operates smoothly,” Larson said. “Yeah, we had the weather delay for the Indy 500 last year, but aside from that, the travel side of it was all smooth. So, as far as I know, nothing is different this year.”
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Grab NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 fan gear while you watch the race on Amazon | National
Sunday, May 25 is one of the biggest days in NASCAR racing: the Coca-Cola 600. The 600-mile race will be held, as it usually is, at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina at 6pm ET. To celebrate, Amazon is launching a Shop the Race collection where customers can simultaneously watch the race on […]
Sunday, May 25 is one of the biggest days in NASCAR racing: the Coca-Cola 600. The 600-mile race will be held, as it usually is, at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina at 6pm ET.
To celebrate, Amazon is launching a Shop the Race collection where customers can simultaneously watch the race on Amazon Prime and shop for all their favorite NASCAR gear. As long as you have the Amazon Shopping app, you can find all the products related to the race. You can shop for general NASCAR merchandise or find gear that supports your favorite driver.
Whether you’re looking for a classic NASCAR hoodie, your own racing flags or a comfy pair of NASCAR-branded slippers, you’ll find it on Amazon. Below are a few of the top picks from the NASCAR collection.
To watch on Prime, you must be an Amazon Prime member. You can join or start a 30-day free trial today.
Original price: $69.99
NASCAR Crocs are some of the most unique Crocs out there. Not only do they have the classic NASCAR colors, but the backs have a snap on rear wing to make the Crocs look like they’re race cars! You also get six NASCAR Jibbitz shoe charms you can attach to the holes in your Crocs.
A classic NASCAR checkered flags hoodie has everyone’s favorite checkered flags overlaying the NASCAR logo. You can get the sweatshirt in black, red or gray. It comes in a relaxed fit, so it’ll be one of the comfiest sweatshirts in your closet.
GEAR UP AND EXERCISE THIS SUMMER BY PLAYING THESE POPULAR SPORTS
For a backpack you can take with you anywhere, choose the NASCAR colorblock backpack. It’s a simple black backpack with the NASCAR logo on the front. There’s a large zipper pocket with a smaller front pocket for your most important items. There are also two mesh side pockets for water bottles as well.
Original price: $17.95
Show the entire neighborhood how much of a die-hard fan you are with a NASCAR garden flag. Featuring the NASCAR logo and checkered flags, this garden flag is the perfect accessory for NASCAR enthusiasts. It hangs on any average garden flag hook and has a double-sided design.
Original price: $26.99
LEGO makes a NASCAR collection full of fun build-it-yourself race car models. The NASCAR Chevrolet Camaro is a one-of-a-kind LEGO set that’s just plain cool. Great for kids and adults alike, the Camaro will be a fast and furious addition to your NASCAR collection.
If you’re rooting for Ross Chastain in the number one car during the Coca-Cola 600, you need this Chastain black and green hat. The front features the hilarious and accurate saying “Gas It and Smash It” and Chastain’s infamous nickname, “The Melon Man,” on the side. As an eighth-generation watermelon farmer, the nickname is well deserved.
Kyle Busch is one of the more well-known names in NASCAR racing these days. If you’re supporting him this year, grab a Kyle Busch pullover hoodie. The hoodie has Busch’s number 18 on the front, paired with his name and the iconic racing flags. You can choose between seven different colors, from black to red, blue or green.
Driving the number five Chevrolet ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports is Kyle Larson. Show your support for one of the top drivers with a Kyle Larson racing flags t-shirt. Below Larson’s name on the shirt is an image of his iconic race car with the classic checkered flags below.
Austin Dillon is set to drive the historic number three car in the Coca-Cola 600. No matter what you plan to drink while watching the race, have it in this Rico Industries number three racing tumbler. The large cup has a 24-ounce capacity, a flip lid or a straw for easier drinking.
For more deals, visit www.foxnews.com/deals
Original price: $74.99
Stay comfortable while you cheer on Chase Elliot with a pair of NASCAR slip-on loafers. The slippers look just like the outside of the number nine car. Made by Hey Dude, these slippers are designed to be as durable as they are comfortable. You’ll have a pair of slippers you’ll never want to take off.
Katherine Legge’s Unyielding Pursuit for Glory: Defying Critics in NASCAR’s Fierce Racing Landscape
Katherine Legge Roars Back: Defiant Against Critics and Ready to Conquer NASCAR In a bold and defiant stance, Katherine Legge, the British racecar driver, delivered a resounding message to her sponsor, e.l.f. Cosmetics, as she gears up for her NASCAR return at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Legge, known for her fearless driving style, is set […]
Katherine Legge Roars Back: Defiant Against Critics and Ready to Conquer NASCAR
In a bold and defiant stance, Katherine Legge, the British racecar driver, delivered a resounding message to her sponsor, e.l.f. Cosmetics, as she gears up for her NASCAR return at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Legge, known for her fearless driving style, is set to showcase her prowess behind the wheel of the #32 e.l.f. Cosmetics Chevrolet at the BetMGM 300 (Xfinity Series) in Charlotte, exuding confidence and determination to make her sponsor proud.
Amidst the buzz of the upcoming race, Legge, aged 44, took center stage at her sponsor’s event, expressing her gratitude and enthusiasm for the support she has received. In a heartfelt Instagram story, she conveyed, “This feels like an incredibly supportive, empowering situation to be in, and I can’t say enough. I’m beyond grateful. I’m beyond proud to represent Elf, and to have met so many amazing humans.”
With her eyes set on victory, Legge emphasized her commitment to giving her all on the racetrack, stating, “It’s my responsibility to do you all proud, so I’m giving 110%. I’m trying my best you all… like I’m up watching races from last year, and I will, absolutely, try to represent you the best that I can.”
Despite facing setbacks in earlier races this season, including a did not qualify (DNQ) at Rockingham Speedway and a couple of unfortunate did not finish (DNF) results, Legge remains undeterred and unwavering in her pursuit of success. Her tenacity and unwavering spirit have been evident throughout her NASCAR journey, with the seasoned driver refusing to let criticisms or negativity hinder her progress.
In the face of harsh criticism and scrutiny, Legge stands tall, addressing her detractors with a positive mindset and an unshakable resolve. Refuting the naysayers, she declared, “My performance and not my gender is what defines me as a competitor. And I haven’t been in NASCAR long enough to be accurately judged for that.” She further added, “No amount of hate will change that. You are not gonna make me quit or give up because I’m stronger than that.”
As she prepares to rev her engines once again at the BetMGM 300, Katherine Legge exemplifies the epitome of perseverance and grit in the high-octane world of NASCAR. Her journey is not just about racing; it’s a testament to resilience, passion, and an unwavering commitment to chasing her dreams, no matter the obstacles in her path.
Stay tuned as Katherine Legge roars back onto the NASCAR scene, ready to conquer the track and silence her critics with every turn of the wheel.
Why the Indy 500 is “fascinating puzzle” according to ex-F1 engineer David Brown
The 33 cars that will participate in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing on Sunday have already undergone countless hours of work in shops and at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in an attempt to become the next Indy 500 champion. But what does a technical director look for when setting up a car to perform at […]
The 33 cars that will participate in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing on Sunday have already undergone countless hours of work in shops and at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in an attempt to become the next Indy 500 champion. But what does a technical director look for when setting up a car to perform at its best on this unique 2.5-mile oval track?
Motorsport.com sat down with David Brown, who joined Juncos Hollinger Racing last December, to understand how an IndyCar organization navigates the Month of May and the forces involved in taming a car that goes almost 240 mph. Racing for Juncos are Conor Daly and Sting Ray Robb.
Brown has decades of motorsport experience. He spent nearly 15 years in Formula 1 with Williams, where he engineered Nigel Mansell’s and Alain Prost’s World Championship seasons, and worked also with McLaren and Jordan.
Yet, he is fascinated by the Indianapolis 500. “The more you get involved, the more you understand why people become obsessed with the Indy 500,” Brown says.
David Brown, Juncos Hollinger Racing
Photo by: Juncos Hollinger Racing
From a technical standpoint, what does the car need to be fast in the Indianapolis 500?
“It’s a juggle between drag, balance and efficiency. So it’s easy to watch the race from the outside and think it’s just about running minimum wing and minimum drag. But the problem is that you can’t, because you will be too slow in the corners. Even though the cars still look fast in the corners, if you lift and you lose momentum, and you have to keep the revs up. So all these little tiny things join together to give you the [car’s] overall performance. So you’re looking for low drag, but you need downforce, which means you also need efficiency, which is a combination of the two. You need high power, which is good because we have a Chevy engine, which is very good engine.
“But also you need to get that power onto the road, which means you need to be very efficient in your transmission. So it’s another combined factor. You also need to be able to stay full throttle, which is the downforce side of it. So you’re maximising the output of your engine and your transmission.
“And then in traffic, you need to be able to respond with the correct gear ratio selection. So everybody runs fourth, fifth and sixth gear very, very close together. So you can do laps with a tow, for example, at sixth gear. But when you’re in traffic, you might need to be fourth gear, and a very small gap, so you’re almost imperceptible. You see the driver’s hand move and the engine note changes just a little, because you’ve made a 70 rpm rev change to the engine by changing gear.
“So all these tiny things come into focus then, and that’s just producing the lap time. I mean, you’ve got pit stops, which are absolutely vital. You have a car which has got the wheels like this for rubbing on the oval, braking at maximum deceleration into the pit lane, even though the outside of the tyre is completely cold and blah, blah, blah, blah. And the car’s got a weight jacker, which is the cross weight is all on one side of the car. So when you come to stop the car in the pit lane, you often see people locking wheels and stuff.
“The idea is that, you know, you can’t make mistakes by having the wrong brake bias and the wrong weight jacker position when you come into the pit lane, because otherwise you risk, apart from the fact that you will slide all over the place and scare all the people in the first pits, you risk crashing the car coming into the pit lane and ruining your race. So there are so many little details. It’s a fascinating puzzle to put together.
Conor Daly, Juncos Hollinger Racing
Photo by: Action Sports Photography
It’s clear you’re passionate about it. Of course, you have a lot of experience with other forms of motorsports, especially Formula 1. How would you compare the Indy 500 to everything else you’ve done in your career?
“It’s very individual. It’s very unusual. I mean, I’ve done Le Mans and Monaco and Daytona and everything in between, you know, all the sort of long races and 20 years of Formula 1 and stuff. And it’s just… it’s like looking at a face through a screen, right, you know, it’s there and you sort of recognize it, but nothing is exactly the same. And so you have to adjust your perception when you get involved in it.
“And I did get involved in this race 20 odd years ago, but only on the sort of periphery. But it’s been a lot of learning for me. But it’s fascinating. I often talk about race engineering and engineering and racing cars. You know, these people who spin plates on a stick? You see the guy running around. He has 20 of these things going. He’s running. It’s just like that. That’s exactly what you’re doing. So you have to make sure that all the plates are still spinning.”
Having all these days of practice means there’s a lot of data to analyze. How does Juncos Racing process all of that?
“Well, it’s interesting you should say that, because on paper, yes, we’ve got lots of time. But in fact, we are always running as long as we possibly can in every session because of the challenges of qualifying and the importance of qualifying, and the fact that the configuration of the car is so different for qualifying.
“We have really two separate areas. We have the race preparation and the qualifying preparation. And the car, of course, is a similar car, but its final aero configuration and so on is quite different for qualifying — and the power. We get extra boost. Everybody gets extra boost for qualifying and all that sort of stuff. So we arrive here having done lots of simulation.
”We did the Open Test, which is two days. So we arrived here with some idea of what challenges we were going to face. And we have a list of just like with any other challenge in life, you have a list of things that you want to try and you want answers to. And we start off with the most important ones and we work towards the least important ones.
“Of course, it’s never as linear and as obvious and as straightforward as you would hope. So always extra things comes up. You either learn something that sets you off in a slightly different direction to your advantage or you learn something that isn’t working well and you have to go another route in order to compensate.
“And there is, as you say, a lot of data. We have three engineers directly working on each car. Plus two other senior engineers, myself and Will (Phillips), who’s the senior engineer on the other car. We get a lot of support from GM because we’re a GM engine team. So they have engineers as well who are looking at the data. So in running the two cars, we’ve probably got, including the GM people, probably 10 or 11 people looking at data, which is a lot. But we generate a lot of data. It’s huge.
How do you divide your time during practice between qualifying and the race?
“We ran Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. So I think we ran three days of practice, which was race practice. But we did also do some running on our own to try and practice a little bit of qualifying. So maybe a third of a day. And then the day before qualifying was just practising for qualifying. And then you have qualifying itself. Because we narrowly missed getting into the top 12 by 0.06 of a mile an hour, some tiny margin. And of course, everything is tiny margins because it’s IndyCar and it’s Indianapolis. So we didn’t have to run on Sunday. But today (May 19th) we’ve got two hours of practice and then we have carb day on Friday, that’s another couple of hours, and that’s it, that’s the race. It doesn’t take long to whip through all that time.
“Even though it’s such a short lap, the conditions are constantly changing. So not only the atmospheric conditions, because, you know, of the wind and the temperature and the ambient pressure and humidity and stuff, all of which makes a difference. If the wind changes and we have to change the downforce level, if the temperature changes, we have to change the wing settings to compensate for the temperature.
“By the time you covered all that stuff, you really are running all the time. I mean, today we want to do long runs, some 30 lap runs, just like the race to look at the tyres and look at the performance and look at the handling as over the length of it as the fuel load comes down and the tyres degrade, for example. But Carb Day is it’s pretty late to make big changes by the time you get to Carb Day really. You’re just sort of checking everything, making sure, just doing the tiny little sort of polishing, if you like, of the performance. But today is quite an important day. It’s only two hours and it’s going to go ‘boom!’.
How does a car’s setup differ between qualifying and racing?
“For us, it’s mainly been aero. I mean, some people have made some more mechanical changes, but if you have a car which you really like from a mechanical point of view. And so a good car mechanically, is a car which you can run a range of aero balances on an aero components and it’s still the same. So we think our car is comfortable for the drivers. So we made mainly aero changes, but very few mechanical changes.”
Sting Ray Robb, Juncos Hollinger Racing
Photo by: Penske Entertainment
How easy is it to fall off the window with the setup by making a slight change?
“Very easy. Yeah. I mean, every time we make a change, we measure how the car is before we make the change and then measure afterwards, which means literally if we change the front wing angle in the pit lane, we measure the front wing angle in the pit lane, even though we’ve done it half an hour before. We measure it and we change it, we measure it again. So we’re dealing with, what did we make the other day? We made a wing angle change of 0.15 of a degree. Complete madness, 0.15 degrees like this, but because it makes such a huge difference because at 230 miles an hour, the forces are enormous. And if you’ve got an imbalance, everything is magnified.”
It’s funny that you mentioned that because I heard Conor Daily say that he didn’t feel right with the car during the Open Test. He said that he wasn’t comfortable, and you changed the front wing. Despite the fact that it was supposed to be the same front wing, it kind of changed the whole balance of the car. That’s how tricky and small the margins are.
“Yes, we ended up actually having to select by running them on the car to check all the wings because the circumstances it’s not really very easy to model because the expectation is every wing is the same. But in fact, every wing is different. And so we have some tests which we do on the wings statically to measure how stiff they are and how robust they are. So we measure vertically and in torsion and all those things like everybody else does. And we do some other tests as well. And when we select the wings from our stock, which we have a primary wing and a secondary wing for each car, and then we run them on the track just to be sure, because as you say, if if it’s slightly imbalanced, then it’s over. You know, it’s going to be a very, very long day.”
Which tool is the most important for adjusting the car setup in the Indy 500? Can you pick just one, or is that not possible?
“Well, the nice thing and the fascinating thing is the racing car is like those models of chemicals, those balls with balls and everything is connected. So every time you make a change to one part of the setup, then something else is going to move as well. And it’s just because it’s a racing car. That’s the way racing cars are, which makes it interesting, but it makes it difficult to define which is going to predominate. It would be obvious to say, ‘oh, the aero is very important’. Yeah, it is. But so the mechanical side, because that controls the ride heights and the ride heights define the aero. So is everything is connected. And so you can use the mechanical side to change the aero properties of the car, for example. So they’re tied together. The obvious thing is we change the wings a lot, but we also change the suspension as well. You know, some people run different wheelbases depending on whether they’re racing and qualifying. Quite big changes, but we didn’t because we quite like our car like it is. So we just changed some fewer components.”
Juncos has had fast cars at the Indy 500 for the last couple of years, but they’ve had inexperienced drivers for this specific event. How much did Conor’s IMS experience change the car?
“I think that one of the things that Conor brings because of his experience, he’ll drive the car, he’ll come in and say, ‘this is how I want the car to feel or this is not how I want the car to feel. It’s OK for one lap, but if I get into traffic, it does this and it moves too much’. He will make comments like, ‘Yes, I know what it feels like now. And my experience tells me that in the race, it’s going to feel like X, which is either good or bad.’ And that brings a huge plus to us, a huge advantage.”
You have the hybrid unit for the first time this year for the Indy 500. Was it difficult to learn how to use it?
“Yes, I think we, along with most people, have worked with it enough now to know what we want to do with it in the race. You saw in different strategies in qualifying, it’s not going to be like that in the race because you will use the hybrid in a completely different way because it’s a totally different environment in the race. But most people have been using it long enough to have experience of how to use it properly. So, yeah, it’s just another piece to add into the puzzle, if you like.”
Do you think it could be a deciding factor in the race?
“Well, I’m sure if you get it wrong. The thing is that everybody has it, right? So it’s like making the engines bigger. Everybody will just go faster. But you can get it wrong. And so if somebody gets it wrong or, you know, the driver doesn’t press the button at the right time, that will become an influence. But if everybody does everything perfectly, nothing will change. But of course, that applies to everything, pit stops, etc.”
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Federico Faturos
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Cleetus McFarland apologizes after causing ARCA pileup at Charlotte
Austin Green captured the checkered flag at Charlotte Motor Speedway, becoming a first-time winner in the ARCA Menards Series. Meanwhile, Garrett Mitchell, who is better known as Cleetus McFarland on his popular YouTube channel, finished ninth in his third career ARCA start and his first at a non-superspeedway. He also earned a top-ten finish at Talladega […]
Austin Green captured the checkered flag at Charlotte Motor Speedway, becoming a first-time winner in the ARCA Menards Series. Meanwhile, Garrett Mitchell, who is better known as Cleetus McFarland on his popular YouTube channel, finished ninth in his third career ARCA start and his first at a non-superspeedway.
He also earned a top-ten finish at Talladega Superspeedway earlier this year, bettering that result by one position today. But it was not all smooth sailing for Cleetus. Beginning the race from 11th position on the 32-car grid, he steadily moved forward, reaching seventh before choosing to stay out during the first caution of the race.
McFarland restarted on the outside of the front row with 62 laps to go, but he spun the tires as the leaders accelerated through the restart zone. The No. 30 Rette Jones Racing Ford fishtailed before connecting with the right rear of Isabella Robusto’s car, sending her head-on into the outside wall. Several other cars were collected as well with about ten drivers sustaining damage. McFarland escaped with only minor damage to the left front.
He was visibly frustrated with himself, slamming the wheel with his fists and even slapping the top of his helmet inside the race car. “I blew it,” he radioed to the team, calling it a rookie mistake.
McFarland was still keeping decent pace even after the incident, running seventh at the halfway break. As the race carried on, he avoided any further drama, climbing as high as fifth before dropping to ninth in the final green flag run. He also fell off the lead lap near the end as Green made his way by.
McFarland apologizes for restart pileup
“I want to start out by apologizing to the team that I took out,” McFarland told FOX Sports 1 after the race. “I think it was several cars. I just feel terrible. Every time I go racing, I don’t want to get taken out. I’ve felt it. It sucks. I’ve been sent home and I made a complete rookie maneuver on the restart. I zigged and then I zagged and then (she) was blowing my door off and on the zag. I hit her and put her in the wall. I feel terrible about it. I know those guys work hard to be out here. It sucks to send them home.”
He admitted that racing at Charlotte was “100x harder” than competing at superspeedways like Daytona or Talladega, saying that he got “humbled on that restart.”
Speaking further on the incident, he added: “I forgot there was no dang restrictor plate on this thing. I’m like ‘wham,’ gave her the beans. It steps out, steps out and then I clipped (Robusto). Just feels bad, but we’ll move forward.”
McFarland’s next planned ARCA start will be at Bristol Motor Speedway in September.
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As Kyle Larson aims for ‘the Double,’ other IndyCar and NASCAR drivers ponder motorsports marathon
INDIANAPOLIS — NASCAR star Kyle Larson will be taking another shot at “the Double,” one of the most grueling feats in all of motorsports, when he tries to complete every lap of the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday. Tony Stewart is the only driver to have successfully pulled it off, and that […]
INDIANAPOLIS — NASCAR star Kyle Larson will be taking another shot at “the Double,” one of the most grueling feats in all of motorsports, when he tries to complete every lap of the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday.
Tony Stewart is the only driver to have successfully pulled it off, and that was nearly 25 years ago.
But while attempts have been scarce since John Andretti first tried it in 1994, that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of ambitious drivers interested. Defending Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden, Team Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin and reigning IndyCar series champion Alex Palou all expressed some desire to give it a go this week.
“Gosh, we could have a huge laundry list of people that should do it,” said Newgarden, who is aiming for an unprecedented third straight Indy 500 win. “You could ask the majority of the field (and they) would want to do the double. It’s so much fun.”
Yet it’s also a massive undertaking, which is why Stewart still stands alone, and not just on the driver who has to complete 1,100 miles around Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway — tracks some 550 miles apart. It also takes some serious financial support, the backing of teams in both IndyCar and NASCAR, tremendous logistical help, and plenty of luck that the weather cooperates, cars hold up mechanically and the driver is able to avoid any wrecks.
Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, whose brother Kurt completed the Indy 500 in 2014 but failed to finish the Coca-Cola 600, is among those who have tried to put together a deal to attempt “the Double” but haven’t quite pulled it off.
“It’s just very difficult to get that lined up,” Newgarden said. “Doing what Kyle (Larson) is doing right now, it’s harder than it looks. What I mean by that is just putting the program together. You would have a lot of people doing it if it was simple, I can promise you that. I think Kyle Busch has spoken publicly about trying to get something off the ground. That’s Kyle Busch. It should seem like it’s pretty likely for him to put a program together. It was quite difficult.”
So who else could be in line to try?
Ryan Blaney has contemplated it, and he presumably would have plenty of synergistic support given that Team Penske has established NASCAR and IndyCar programs. But it would take the convincing of team owner Roger Penske, who also owns the IndyCar Series, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500 — a race he has won a record 20 times.
“I would love to see Blaney do it at some point,” Newgarden said.
Six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon, who drives for Chip Ganassi Racing, was close to a deal years ago when that team still had a NASCAR program. Dixon pointed out that there are also conflicts of interest to overcome, such as when an IndyCar driver whose team is powered by Honda has the chance to drive a Cup Series car that might have a Chevrolet engine.
“It’s not an easy thing to do,” Dixon said. “Really admire the people that do it.”
Dixon paused, before telling Palou sitting next to him: “Alex, you should do it.”
“I would love to do it,” he replied. “I would do it.”
McLaughlin, another Team Penske driver with extensive stock car experience, was asked about trying to tackle both Memorial Day weekend races. Before jumping to IndyCar, McLaughlin was one of the most dominant drivers in the history of the Supercar Series in Australia and New Zealand, winning 56 races and three series championships.
Those races take place on road courses, though, and the Coca-Cola 600 is on the Charlotte oval. So, McLaughlin said, all those years of stock car experience Down Under might not translate so easily to a Cup Series car.
“The only reason you’d think that is is if it was road course-to-road course,” he said. “But I think the oval is a completely different kettle of fish. If I was to do ‘the Double,’ I would like to do an (oval) race before Charlotte.”
Larson’s attempt is once again a joint effort of Hendrick Motorsports on the NASCAR side and Arrow McLaren on the IndyCar side.
He had high hopes of completing all 1,100 miles last year, but rain wreaked havoc with his schedule. Larson managed to finish the rain-delayed Indy 500, then do the entire helicopter-plane-helicopter trip to Charlotte, only to be greeted there by more rain upon his arrival. It ultimately washed out the rest of the NASCAR race before he ever got a chance to turn a lap.
The forecast for Sunday? A bit chilly but most likely dry.
“I feel like the Hendrick aviation side does a really good job with logistics and working with motorsports to make sure all the timing’s right on everything and everything operates smoothly,” Larson said. “Yeah, we had the weather delay for the Indy 500 last year, but aside from that, the travel side of it was all smooth. So, as far as I know, nothing is different this year.”
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